Page 26 of Pucking Good Girl

“I get that,” I muse, still confused. “But construction is different from letting us move back into the apartments that are already built.”

Coach Harrison pinches the bridge of his nose. “Don’t you think I raised the same objection, Shayba? Unfortunately, these birds are extremely shy and reclusive, and even the smallest disturbance could endanger their nest. And before you ask anymore questions, no the fucking nest can’t be moved. So the training center is out of the question. Besides, it’s too far from campus to be truly practical now that you all have classes. We do have a partial solution, however. I spoke to Brett, and he agreed to help us by opening a few apartments in his new luxury complex to us. Since he’s also a Gamma Delta Tau member, he’s going to let the members of the fraternity move in for the same fee they paid to their chapter.”

“Thank fuck.” Tucker exhales.

“Not so fast, Mr. Prescott.” The Dean growls. “You kept a duck in on campus accommodation. On campus housing doesn’t allow pets. That’s a flagrant violation of⁠—”

Tucker must have a death wish because he interrupts the Dean. “Baety is the official mascot of our fraternity chapter, so she’s exempt from the pet ban on campus.”

I know this is bad when the Dean smiles. “That may be so, but that doesn’t change the fact that you caused serious damage to a building on this campus because of your gross negligence. And as such, you’re banned from on campus housing in any capacity. That includes Brett’s apartment complex, unless you want to pay rent out of pocket at the current market rate.”

Tucker’s face drops. “You can’t do that. Can he do that?” He then asks the people in the room.

“I can, and it’s already done. And before you utter another word, Mr. Prescott, I would like to make you aware of your extremely precarious position at this institution right now. Between the investigation over the grades in two of the classes you took last semester and this latest incident, I was inclined to put your case in front of the academic board and ask for your immediate expulsion. Since you’re still a student at Star Cove College, you have your coach to thank. For some reason, Coach Harrison deems you irreplaceable on the ice and vouched for you for the second time in the space of a few months. I want to make it clear that you’re on your last life. I’d have you expelled in a heartbeat, even if that cost us the championship this year. But Coach Harrison called in a personal favor to save you. Let me be clear, though. If I hear even one whisper hinting at you not displaying exemplary behavior, not even God Himself will be able to save you next time.”

A heavy silence descends on the Dean’s office.

“Very well,” the Dean finally says. “I alerted someone from the housing department to be present at the site while your players and the other Gamma members collect their belongings. Chief Holland has agreed to provide personnel to supervise and guarantee everyone’s safety. The housing clerk has been liaising with their counterpart from the complex where everyone will be moving in. Please, Dan, I understand that everyone has had a long night. But I trust you’ll make sure your players will be on their best behavior and appreciate that these staff have been woken up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday to come to work for their benefit.”

Coach Harrison nods. “You got it, David. And thank you for being here too to sort all of this out.”

Tucker opens his mouth. I’m not sure if he’s about to apologize or what else. Knowing him the way I do, it could be anything.

I clasp one of his shoulders at the same time as Coach Harrison grabs the other one. “Let’s go, bro.” I whisper. “Nothing you say now is going to make this any better.”

The hallway is still crowded with all our frat brothers and a couple of the hockey team’s assistant coaches. As Coach Harrison and Chief Holland go to break the news, Tucker and I join Talia and Taryn, who have been waiting for us exactly where we left them, with Beaty still asleep in Taryn’s arms.

Talia

The second I see the look on Macklin’s face, I know it isn’t good news.

“Holy shit.” I sigh once they bring us up to speed with what transpired in the Dean’s office. “That’s rough. But I’m glad Coach Harrison vouched for you, Tuck.”

My brother runs a hand through his blond hair, tousling it even more than it already was. “I just don’t get it. I’m sure I closed that faucet. I mean, I don’t think Baety would have been able to open it? It’s one of those that you lift rather than turning it, but she couldn’t possibly do it, right?”

Macklin shrugs his shoulders. “I don’t know. I doubt it, though. Were you in a rush or something like that? Sometimes I think I’ve done something when I’m running late, but then it turns out I didn’t.”

“Yeah, it’s possible.” Tucker finally admits. “I was in a rush. I should have waited until today to change Baety’s water. But last time the housekeeper came, I had locked my door, and she didn’t clean the bathroom. The water had been there for almost two weeks, and it was starting to smell. So I cleaned up and then started refilling the tub while I showered and changed.”

Macklin shakes his head. “And to think that I was jealous that the presidential suite has a separate shower and a bathtub.”

“So if the Dean won’t let you have a room in the new complex, where are you going to stay? Or can you pay the rent?”

“I can’t pay the rent. You know I won’t get my bonus from LA until next year. And I gave all the money I got from the reality show to Mom and Dad to help with some of the medical bills and their credit cards.”

I know that. Tucker’s money barely put a dent in our parents’ disastrous financial situation. Even with Mom’s excellent health insurance, they were terribly behind on both the mortgages they took on our family home and on everything else. Paying for my tuition and helping with Theo’s hockey expenses plus clothing and feeding three growing boys was too much on a nurse’s salary. Especially since Mom also has student loans. She likes to say that Tucker is the first Prescott to go to college. She refuses to count herself because it took her over fifteen years to finish school with a husband and five kids at home.

“Look, I was gonna move in with Becks. Our dad rented a two-bedroom apartment in the same complex where everyone is moving to. He was hoping that Becks and I would want to live together, but I preferred the Gamma House. Technically, I’m entitled to on campus housing. I could room with someone else, and you could take the bedroom in Becks’s apartment. It’s already paid for.”

I know what Tucker is going to say even before he utters the words.

“Thank you, Mack. I appreciate your offer and you’re awesome for wanting to help me, but I can’t take your dad’s money.”

“He’s already paid for it, and the room has been empty for weeks. And he’s paying my housing fee with the fraternity. So it won’t cost him one dime more than he’s already paying.”

Tucker doesn’t budge. “That might be so, but I still can’t let your father pay for my housing. Not even if he’s paying the money, anyway. And before you say that I can pay him back once I start getting my pro money, no thanks. Sorry, but it’s the way I’ve been raised.”

I don’t blame him because I would say exactly the same thing. “Where are you gonna go then? You can’t get a job with your schedule.”